Comparison of World Steel Number Standards for Hardened and Tempered Alloy Structural Steel
Steel is one of the most important materials in the world today – used for everything from cars and ships to bridges and buildings. The steel we produce today is vastly different from the crude products of past centuries. In order to ensure that modern steel is of the right quality and strength, steel makers adhere to a number of different systems and standards. The World Steel Number standard is one such system of classifying various different types of steel.
The World Steel Number (WSN) standard was developed in the late 1990s by the International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI). It is essentially a system of coding and numbering various steel products in order to match them to specific international standards. The system is based on the chemical, mechanical, and physical properties of the alloy and the intended application, and is designed to unify global steel trading.
The WSN standard applies to hardened and tempered alloy structural steels, which are used in applications such as industrial machinery, vehicles and components, agricultural equipment, and civil engineering projects. These steels are produced to a variety of different specifications, each of which has a unique WSN code.
The WSN system codes steel by assigning a numerical value to each property and then combining those values into a string of numbers. This code is known as the WSN number. For example, a hardened and tempered alloy structural steel may have the following properties: carbon content 0.40%, manganese content 1.00%, silicon content 0.15%, sulfur content 0.012%, and phosphorus content 0.04%. The corresponding WSN number would be 040010-15 012 04.
As an example, let us say a particular WSN number corresponds to a particular grade of steel – 040010-15 012 04 – and that this steel is intended for use in a particular manufacture application. This WSN number would be linked to one or more specific steel specifications, such as API 5L, ASTM A106 or EN 10149-2. Specifically, the steel grade may correspond to API 5L grade B or ASTM A106 grade B. If the WSN number is 040010-15 012 04, then the API 5L and ASTM A106 grades of steel are both used for the manufacture application.
The WSN system is also a useful tool for comparing steel grades and for making cost comparisons. For example, if two different steel grades – one with the WSN number 040010-15 012 04 and the other with the WSN number 040010-15 010 06 – are to be produced, then a prospective customer can quickly compare the two grades in terms of chemical composition and other properties. This makes it easier to choose the best steel for the given application.
The WSN system is one of several systems used in the steel industry today. Other systems include the EN-Norm format, the DIN-Norm format, and the Unified Numbering System of North America (UNS). Each of these systems is unique and provides its own unique benefits to specific industries and applications.
All in all, the World Steel Number standard is an important tool for identifying and comparing different kinds of hardened and tempered alloy structural steels. By knowing the WSN number associated with a particular steel grade, manufacturers, engineers, and other stakeholders in the steel industry are able to not only compare various steel grades, but also to make cost comparisons between different steel grades. This allows companies to choose the best steel for the job at hand.
